We, the undersigned, are the individuals
who composed the company that attacked and killed a party of Indians (from the Lower
Reservation) in this county, on the morning of the 27th of December, and felt it
due to ourselves to make known the causes that led to this act, and all the attending
circumstances in order that the public mind may be enabled to form a just opinion
of our conduct from a correct knowledge, of the facts. We do this not from any disposition
to evade any responsibility that may attach to our acts---but a proper regard to
an impartial public sentiment.Facts and circumstances dating as far back as last winter,
all connected produced the opinion among ourselves and the community that it was
the Reserve Indians, and them alone, that have commited the depredations in our
section of country. These circumstances are too numerous to give them all, and yet
they all form an important link in the chain. The fact that prior to the commencement
of these depredations the Indians from the Reservation were all thrugh the country
on hunting excursions, and soon after horses were stolen and the manner in which
they selected the horses and the crossings of the mountains and streams, all evinced
so thorough a knowledge of the country and the situation of the horses as gtiven
rise to strong suspicions that the marauders were our near neighbors. These suspicions
could not fail to be strengthened when several of our citizens learned that their
horses were in possession of the Reservation Indians, and upon demand received some
of them, the Indians demanding Ten Dollars per head as salvage, claiming to have
recovered them from the Camanches who they alleged, with the Kickapoos, had stolen
them.In several instances
there was a strong effort to conceal some of the horses known to be in their possession,
for proof of which we refer to the evidence of Robert Martin and J. Hightower, two
reliable and unimpeachable citizens whose deposition properly authenticated is herewith
published. Notwithstanding these circumstances created strong suspicions and caused
many of our citizens to request the Agents repeatedly, not to allow the Indians
to come down in the settlements again--still many of our citizens willing to make
some allowance for irregularities among a people changing or it would be more proper
to say who it is claimed are changing from a savage to a civilized state, and we
hopoed our suspicions might be groundless. Rangers were called out and soon the
Indians retired from their hunting excursions and remained on the reservation. Immediately
the depredations among us ceased. the Reserve Indians went out with the Rangers
in the Spring in the xpedition against the Camanches. We learn they fought gallantly,
and though some among us still had our doubts--a large majority of our people joined
in the encomiums [?] so copiously heaped upon them. Things remained through the
Summer, and we began to hope for peace an quiet, and our country began to settle
up rapidly. This Fall our red neighbors from the Reservation began to come down
among us in hunting parties. We immediately had our apprehensions excited; some
of our number, Wm. E. Motheral with two other gentlemen, citizens of Palo Pinto.
Messrs Lowder and Davidson, went to a party above Robt. Martin's Esq., between the
5th and 10th of December, firmly but kindly told them they must return to the Reservation--that
the people could not nor would not permit them to hunt through the settlements--that
they claimed to be friends and good Indians, but that our people could not distinguish
one tribe from another, and they did not intend them to stay--that if they were
good Indians they would show it by returning to the Reservation; and if they did
not do it, they would raise men and kill them. The Indians promised to go the next
morning early, and also promised to go by and notify some other parties that were
in the country. The next day Judge Motheral while horse hunting met with two men
of this party near the same place he again warned them of their danger and they
openly laughed in his face at the warning, and he replie3d to them that they might
laugh but if they did not heed it they would find it be too true when perhaps it
was too late, they then became more serious and said they were then on their way
to the Reservation. These warnings were made intelligible to the Indians and repeated
till satisfied, and one who spoke the english language said he understood it. It
is peroper to remark here, that these Indians said they were Aladarcou's [Anadarkos]
and showed a permit from S. P. Ross, for the bearer and eleven others to hunt for
twennty-five days, and dated the 11th of October 1857--and they were told it was
worthless. Mr. Loyd, a citizen also notifed them that the citizens would kill them
if they remained in the settlements. Other parties wre warned, all to no purpose,
they would move their camps two or three miles but would not leave the settlements.After these repeated warnings and the failure of the Indians
to obey, six horses were stolen from off the Palo Pinto, about the 16th of December.
And on the 21st of the same month a party of citizens from Palo Pinto and Erath
counties, numbering from forty to fifty assembled on the waters of the Bosque, near
Jamison's Peak, to take into consideration the best course to rid ourselves of horse
thieves, either red or white, or both, as we had reasons to believe that there were
a few white men in collusion [with] Indians. A committee composed of a large number
was appointed, they organized the company composed of the undersigned, and they
were ordered by the committee and it was sanctioned by the meeting unanimously,
that we should kill any Indians found this side of Cedar Creek, and arrest certain
white men and warn others to leave the State. We failed to find the white men we
were ordered to arrest, but notified the others to leave the State, which they promised
to do We then in pursuance to our orders went in pursuit of the Indians that had
been encamped on the waters of Palo Pinto, and who we learned were still in the
county of Palo Pinto. In the meantime we had learned from Mr. Jas. P. Brown, a reliable
citizen, that one of the party of Rangers from Hubbard's creek informed him that
they had trailed and Indian trail from where a negro was kill on Hubbard's creek
(upon which trail some bloody garments were found) to the cam on Palo Pinto, occupied
by the Reserve Indians, and that those Reserve Indians told them that they had had
some of their horses stolen the night before the Rangers reached their camp. The
Rangers then trailed this trail from this to another camp of the Reserve Indians
(the one occupied by the party warned by Judge Motheral.) which had then been deserted
and from which they could trail them no further, or at least the Indian guides who
were trailing for the Rangers professed to be unable to get the trail off. We pursued
the trail made by the Indians in pursuance to our orders and with a consciencius
feeling of duty to ourselves and our country until we came on a camp early on the
morining of the 27th December, when we charged the camp and killed all the men we
saw and unfortunately and unintentionally, for it was positively against orders,
and our intention to molest the women, still from the situation of the men being
inthe tents, it being early in the morning and raining, two women and one child
were killed. It was unfortunate, as we know it will be made a frightful theme for
denunciations against us by the sickly sentimentalists who are ready to plead the
cause of the poor Indian. That it was not our intention is sufficiently apparent
when we left all we saw unhurt, except those mixed in with the warriors, and there
were several.We have testimony
to prove that a warrior make the first effort to shoot, but candor and truth, and
that spirit that dictates this narrative requires us to say that our charging his
camp was sufficient to alone and cause his resistance, and that it had no influence
on our course. It is proper also that we should say that the hostile demonstration
made towards Mr. Vernoy by Jose Maria, the principal chief on the lower Reservations,
and his son was made known to us before we made the attack and which is proven by
Mr. Lemon's evidence' and in conclusions will only add that we honestly believe
that w only anticipated the Indians that when we reflect that they were scattered
over the country from the lower Reservation to Paluxy, a distance of eighty miles,
and the insulting manner with which they acted and the depredations actually comnmited
many minor ones we have not detailed, such as killing cattle and it leaves no doubt
in our minds but that they after making their hunts and spying out our horses would
have left a sufficient number to have driven off our stock and killing many unfortunate
citizens happening in their way, and it would as usual have been charged to the
Camanchese, and the Reserve Indians ready in the Spring to have led our troops to
avenge themselves upon an enemy of theirs, but who we do not honestlly believe have
done us any harm. That we have had wool pulled over our eyes in this way long enough
is about an unanimous opinion.We have no apology to offer for what we have done. We
are sustained by hundreds of our follow-citizens. We are well known in the country
in which we live, and have ever been men obedient to the laws.

A LETTER OF LONG AGO (By William F Cobb)Published in the
Courier – Sentinal, Ellijay, Gilmer Co., Georgia Newspaper.

“Bluff Dale,
TexasNovember 29, 1899

Mr George W GatesEditor Courier – Sentinal

“If you will allow me space in your paper, I will give you a few ____ from this
part of Texas.

“This is a healthy country. I think it is the garden spot
of the world. Anything will produce here that will produce anywhere else. It is
one among the greatest peach counties in the world. Apples do not do very well here.
We get one good crop out of every three, and there is no use to say anything about
cotton. We make it every year, and corn grows as fine as can be, though corn is
a little scarce here now, owing to a little drought that we had in the summer. Corn
is worth 40 cents per bushel and cotton is 9.50 today. Sweet potatoes are worth
from 30 cents to 50 cents per bushel, and as fine as you ever saw.

“A man
can do well here if he will here if he will half-way try. A great many North Georgians
are here, and some of them came here “strapped,” but they now have a good start.

“Not many days ago I was at Bud Bramlett’s and he showed me 1860 bushels
of fine wheat that he raised this year. Bud is an old Gilmer county boy and is not
afraid to work. Andrew and Fletch Long, Frank and George Gentry, and several other
Gilmer county boys are here. Some come and go back and some stay. Bill Rogers arrived
here Friday.

“It has been 5 years since I left Old Ellijay the last time,
but if I live it will not be 5 more years till I will see the old home again – the
dearest spot on earth to me. But I have got a good farm here; 106 acres, 85 in cultivation.
I made 7 bales of cotton myself off 12 acres, and my renter made 25 bales.

“Last August was a year ago I changed my way of living, and I am now trying
to live a Christian life, and I find it the happiest life on earth. I have a good
Christian wife and two sweet little babies to cheer me on my way.

“If I could
write some gracious line,That those who mourn might read;Some simple, hopeful,
words to cheerThe hearts that grieve and bleed

“If I could speak some
kindly wordsTo buoy some sinking soulAcross whose beaten, storm-tossed bank,
The waves of sorrow roll.

“If I could sing some stirring song,To cheer
some fainting hearts –Implant a firmer purpose thereTo set a nobler part.

“If I could do some kindly deed;To light a life that’s drearAnd bring
a smile to quivering lips,Or check a gathering tear,

“And that I owned
no gold or lands,True riches I would attain.For if I should save one soul
from hellI have not lived in vain.